A one-year-old boy died from his injuries after being thrown from a Ford Explorer during a crash on an exit ramp off the Florida Turnpike in Orlando on Saturday, October 8. The boy was strapped into the car seat as his parents drove onto State Road 408 at about 2 p.m. The mother was sitting in the back seat with the child, but his car seat was not secured properly inside the SUV. When the father rounded the curve of the exit ramp, the Explorer fishtailed due to the rain, skidded off the roadway, and hit a utility pole on its right side. The impact caused the right back seat door to open and the boy and his car seat were ejected. The boy died from his injuries Monday, October 10. The mother’s condition was not known and the father suffered minor injuries. Florida Highway Patrol (FHP) troopers who responded to the scene found the tires on the Explorer were worn, and they will try to determine if the driver was also speeding.
Our condolences go out to this family for the loss of their toddler in this tragic accident.
Children and Car Seats
Estimates are that as many as half of all car seats are not secured properly in a vehicle. It has also been estimated that up to 75 percent of children riding in cars are either not secured properly or have no car seat at all. There are no standardized seat belts or car seats, so a parent can seek information online at the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s (NHTSA) website http://www.nhtsa.gov/Safety/CPS
or go to a local fire station where personnel may be trained in putting a child car seat in securely.
Motor vehicle crashes in Orlando and throughout Florida remain the leading cause of death and injuries of young children.
Florida law requires all children be properly secured in a car seat, an integrated seat, or a booster seat in the passenger row. A failure to do so is a moving violation and can earn the driver three points on his or her driver’s license.
Source: http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/local/os-toddler-killed-fatal-crash-20111010,0,2669799.story; http://www.dmv.org/how-to-guides/install-child-seat.php
